Apparatus for recording transactions



June 14, 1932. J. J. DICKMAN 1,862,528

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING TRANSACTIONS Filed Jan. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIIII IIIIIII IIIIII Illll June 14-, 1932. J, J, DlCKMAN 1,862,528

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING TRANSACTIONS Filed Jan. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 guvemtoz 2/6/12: l/ranr Due Pe/bm Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orries JOSEPH J. DICKMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LIBRARY EFFICIENCY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NE?! YORK APPARATUS FOR RECORDING TRANSACTIONS Application filed January 5, 1927. Serial No. 159,039.

This invention relates to apparatus for recording transactions such as the making of desired entries on the cards of library books, the cards being retained by the borrower and the library respectively.

It is an object of this invention to eliminate many of the errors incident to the making of entries with rubber stamps and with hand Writing according to the methods now in vogue, and also to provide a method which shall enable the entries to be made more rapidly than is possible at present, and by means of which the necessary entries can be made by inexperienced attendants or by the borrowers themselves.

It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus by which the desired entries can be made.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan View.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, certain of the parts being broken away to better illustrate their construction.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the head of the stamp.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the head.

Figure 5 illustrates the usual form of book card which is retained by the library, and Figures 6 and 7 are front and back views respectively of a borrowers card.

According to one of the systems of recording transactions in libraries which is in wide use at the present time, a card such as illustrated in Figure 5 is placed in each book. This card carries numerals or symbols corresponding to the numerals or symbols appearing on the book itself, and usually bears notations as to the authors name and the title of the book. This card is usually called the book card. Each borrower is also provided with a card, known as a borrowers card, such as that illustrated in Figure 6 which bears notations as to the borrowers name and ad dress. Each borrower is assigned a number which is also placed on the card in the manner indicated.

When issuing a book to a borrower, the

attendant usually stamps the book card with a rubber stamp to indicate a date, which may be either the date when the book is borrowed or the date when t e book is due. Opposite the date the attendant writes the borrowers number. 7 The borrowers card is then stamped with a date which also may be either the date when the book is borrowed or the date when it is due. then placed in the library file and the borrowers card is placed in the back of the book in order that the borrower may have a notation which indicates to him a date when the book must be returned.

For purposes of convenience in description the stamping apparatus will now be described, and then subsequently the manner in which it may be used in connection with the system just described will be set forth.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a base 1 on which may be pivotally mounted the arm 2 carrying the head 3. Also mounted on the base 1 or formed integrally therewith, if desired, is a plate 4 on which the card to be stamped may be laid during the stamping operation. If desired, the plate 4 may be provided with vertical flanges 5 and 5 which guide the card and assist in locating it in proper position for stamping. An aperture or slot 6 is formed in the plate 4 and within this aperture is located a rubber platen 7 which is provided with a raised portion 8 for a purpose herein-- after described.

In the head 3 is carried a ribbon 10 mounted on suitable spools having thumb turns 11 and 11 by means of which the ribbon may be wound from one spool to another as desired. The ribbon passes from the spool controlled by the thumb turn 11 through a slot 12 and beneath the plate 13 and thence upwardly through the slot lt to the spool controlled by the thumb turn 11.

The plate 13 is grooved to provide a cavity 15 over which ismounted a frame 16 having an aperture 17 therein. The frame 16 may be secured to the plate 13 by any suitable means such as screws or the like and the plate is preferably recessed slightly to allow The book card is the outer face of the frame to lie flush with the outer face of the plate 13. There. is thus provided between the frame 16 and the bottom of the cavity 15 a space into which a slug or slugs 20 may be inserted for the purpose of making the desired impressions on the cards.

These slugs are preferably of relatively thin sheet metal and may be pressed or pi'in'ch'e'd'to rovide raised portions 21 in the shape of letters or numerals which it is desired to print on the cards.

According to the proposed method of recording library transactions, each borrower would be provided with a slug having impressed therein the numerals corresponding tohis'number, and for purposes of convenience the saidslug may be carried in a small envelope 25 attached to the back of the borrowers card. Similar slugs impressed with dates would be'provided to the library.

Thus when it is desired to issue a book to a borrower,the'library date slug may be inserted between the frame 16 and the bottom of the cavity 15 at one side of the head 3 and the borrowers slug may be inserted in a similar position at the other side of the head, suitable stops 26 and 26 being provided to insure proper positioning of the slugs. The book card may then be laid on the plate 4 in a position such that the space in which'the notation is-to be'made lies coincidental with the indicating line27 and within the indicatinglines QS. The head is then depressed so that the notation is made and the card may thenbe removed from the machine. The b'or rowers slug may then be removed from the machine and the borrowefis card may be stamped with the date slug which remains in the machine.

iks wil'l be observed, the raised portion 8 of the platen 7 is of a width only slightly greater than the width of the letters or numerals to be printed, thereby avoiding any chance of impressions being made at other places on the card. It will also be observed that the rais'edportion 8 of the platen is of less width and length than the aperture 17 whereby impiessions caused by the platen striking the frame are avoided.

In usin the'appara'tus in a library a new dnte sl ugwould be inserted in the machine at 'the beginning of each day and would be left in the 'm ach'ii'ie during the entire day. As each borrower approached the borrowing deslghis slug would be inserted in the ma chine and would be removed and returned to him after the stamping operation was completed. Thus all danger'of errors, due to the entry of incorrect borrowers numbers on the book card, would be eliminated. Furthermore. the use of metallic slugs having raised letters or numerals thereon provides a much clearer and more legible impression than is possible with the use of rubber stamps.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subj oined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a platen, a head, and a sheet metal frame permanently secured to said head for removably holding a slug in position to cooperate with said platen for impression making purposes, said platen being of less width than said frame.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a platen, a head, said head being provided with a cavity, and aframe secured to said head and cooperating with said cavity to form a slug receiving space, said frame being provided with an aperture permitting said slug to cooperate with said platen for impression making purposes and said platen being of less width. than said aperture.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a platen, a head, and a frame attached to said head for holding a slur; in postion to cooperate with said platen for impression making purposes, said platen being of less width than said frame.

4;. In an apparatus of the character described, a platen, a head, and a frame attached to said head for holding a slug in position to cooperate with said platen for impression making purposes, said platen being of less width and length than said frame.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a platen, a head, said head being provided with a cavity, a frame secured to said head and cooperating with said cavity toform a slug're'ceiving space, and said frame being provided with an aperture permitting said slug to cooperate with said platen for impression making purposes, said platen be ing of a width and length less than said aperture.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a head having a cavity therein, means to hold a slug in said cavity in such manner that th'e'impression surfaces lie substantially flush with the lower surface of said head, and a platen of a size and shape to be received within said cavity positioned to engage only said impression surfaces upon approach of said parts.

7. In an apparatus of the character described. a head having a cavity therein, means to hold a slug having impression surfaces in said cavity, and a platen of less width and length than said'cavity positioned to engage only said impression surfaces upon approach of said parts.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 30th day of December, 1926.

JOSEPH J. DICKMAN. 

